Don't Forget To Remember Me
by JacieRae
Summary: Jessie falls hard for Kyle. Their love is special, but Jessie has her doubts.
1. Chapter 1

Jessie smiled to herself. She thought of all the memories she'd had with Kyle. Now, leaning her head against the back of her seat on her flight home, they all seemed far away. She knew they weren't, and she'd keep them as close to her heart as she could. Forever.

"What?" Jessie asked. This was not happening to her. No way would her summer be ruined like this.

"I know, it sounds boring, but trust me. You'll have fun. I know you will," Her mom said. How could she be so sure?

"Mom, really, who has ever had fun spending the _whole summer_ with their grandparents? Nobody."

"You'll be fine. Oh, and you leave in two days, so start packing."

Jessie actually liked airports quite a bit, especially when she was traveling alone. She didn't do it often, but when she did, she loved it. It made her feel mature and free, like she was on her own finally, just like the rest of the world. Nobody cared about her every move, and she liked that.

She almost missed her plane because of an argument with a security guard, but that's a whole different story not worth getting into. She boarded the plane just in time and slept the entire flight there.

Getting off the plane, she knew her grandparents would be waiting for her, smiling with open arms, ready to put her in their warm embrace. It's not that she didn't like them, but she could be doing much better things with her summer than spending it with them. She wanted to be her own person, and she could hardly do that around them without giving them trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

The first week Jessie was in Florida with her grandparents, she followed their rules exactly as they wished. But after that first week, she was bored and sick of it. So she bent the rules as much as she could, without really breaking them. Soon after that she stopped caring and just ignored them. She came and went as she pleased, sometimes not coming home until the next morning. At least she was making friends.

One of those friends was Kyle. The others were Kayla and Amber. Amber and Kyle were together, and had been for a long time, while Kayla was his little sister. She was thirteen, but she and Kyle were good friends. She fit in with Kyle and Amber about as much as Jessie did, which wasn't all that much, but enough to be friends.

Kayla and Jessie usually ended up together because Kyle and Amber would wander off places. They became good friends very quickly. They told each other everything, and Kayla told Jessie her exact thoughts on Kyle and Amber's relationship.

"She came around about two years ago, new to town because she got kicked out of her boarding school somewhere in New York or something. She came back to live with her parents, and her and Kyle met at school. They 'cliqued' as he called it. I called it something more along the lines of fake-cliquing. You know, when you pretend to really clique with someone just for the attention or popularity or whatever the reason may be?

"Anyway, they've been together for three months now. Amber chased him from the day she got here to the day he asked her out. Now she has an actual reason to hang around, and she does so. But do you want to know what really bugs me about her?"

"What?" Jessie asked. They were sitting by a fire on the beach while Amber told this story. Jessie was entranced by it. Kayla was too, but they could both concentrate on the conversation.

"She's really only dating him to be his trophy, and so he can be hers. Those couples really bug me. She makes him buy everything for her, even though she's got more money than us, and she just treats him terribly. Almost like she's better than him and he's like…a servant or something."

"Doesn't he understand that?"

"Apparently not. I've explained it to him dozens of times, but he just kind of shrugs it off and says I'm wrong." Kayla paused, and her eyes suddenly got very wide. "Jessie, I have an idea!" The look on Kayla's face told Jessie to be a little worried. "You should convince Kyle that I'm right! You could do it. He'll listen to you. He trusts you a lot, you know. Probably more than me, which is why this is so great! This is going to work out perfectly. Will you do it?"

"Kayla, I don't know…I couldn't break up a relationship. I'd feel too bad. I understand where you're coming from, but I just can't do that. Kyle could find out later that I was trying to break them up and he might be really mad about it."

"Come on, Jessie! Please?" If you've ever tried saying no to a thirteen-year-old girl with a good puppy pout, it's hard to do. So Jessie agreed, but the terms were that she could do it in any way she wanted to.


	3. Chapter 3

Jessie went on as long as she could without saying anything to Kyle about Amber, but Kayla was quick. After two days she made Jessie do it. She said that it was about time to get started, and that the problem couldn't be avoided forever. So Jessie tried to get Kyle alone, which turned out to only take about an hour. They went for a walk on the beach.

"So what's up?" Kyle asked.

"I wanted to just mention something…Don't hold it against me. You can even forget that I said it completely. It's just that I have to say it," Jessie said.

"Alright."

"I don't think you and Amber are the best couple." Half of her was relieved that she finally said it, but the other half was scared for his reaction.

"Me either. That's why I'm breaking up with her." Jessie stopped dead in her tracks. She quickly recovered and caught back up to him.

"You are?"

"Yeah. Pretty soon. Keep that to yourself though. I don't want people finding out before I do it."

"I won't tell." Jessie wondered why he was breaking up with Amber. Did he finally see the flaws in their relationship?

"Why did you want me to break up with her anyway?"

"Your relationship just doesn't seem right. Something was off about it."

"You mean fake?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"You've been talking to Kayla. She was the one who told you to do this, right? Well, don't answer that. You can't answer that without upsetting her. You're a good friend, Jessie."

"Um, thank you."

"Maybe after things end with Amber…"

"We don't need to go there right now."

"You don't want to."

"We'll see where things take us. But we don't need to think about those kinds of things now. We'll free fall."

"Free falling. Is that what you always do?"

"It's easier to be happy that way."

"Who taught you that?"

"Someone very close to me."

"Can I ask who?"

"You can."

"Then who?"

"My sister Linda. She died when she was nine. She said that free falling was always the best way to be happy. I've been doing it ever since."

"That's interesting."

"Interesting how?"

"Interesting like I might start doing that. It seems to work for you."

"Usually. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you happy?" Kyle paused, choosing his words carefully.

"I can assure you, Jessie, that in this moment, I am entirely filled with bliss." Jessie smiled at his way of speaking. It was practically poetry out of context.

"Where'd you learn to talk like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like that. Where do those words come from?"

"My head, just like your words come from your head. I suppose it's just how I am."

"Well, do you write?"

"No," He said. There may have been more to that answer, Jessie couldn't tell, but she decided to stop asking questions. If he wanted to tell more and talk to her, then he would, but she felt that she had tried enough for the moment. Maybe she was just being a girl about things, but that was alright with her. "Is something wrong?" He asked after a moment.

"No," Jessie responded. They had been walking, and she hadn't noticed them ending up on the beach. She watched the sand as she walked on it. It felt smooth against her bare feet.

"You got quiet. I didn't say something, did I?"

"No, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Alright. Is it my turn to ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Are _you_ happy?" _Very original,_ Jessie thought.

"Right now I am." Her words didn't compare to the answer Kyle had given her, and she hated that, but her answer was honest.

"Is that because you're with me?"

"Yes."

"Hey, why all the short answers?"

"You're asking simple questions."

"Okay…then how about this: repeat the alphabet backwards three times fast. Go!" Jessie attempted this at least seven times, never getting past the letter S, partially because her and Kyle were laughing so hard and also because she hadn't spent much of her time practicing saying the alphabet backwards.

"Kyle!" Jessie and Kyle looked behind them. It was Amber running up to them. "Hi, Jessie," She said smiling. Jessie turned to go, waving and smiling at Amber.

"Hey, I'll see you later, alright?" Kyle asked. Jessie turned around, nodded, and continued walking back toward her grandparents' house. She smiled to herself the whole way, thinking about the time she spent with Kyle. She had, indeed, developed a slight crush on him.


	4. Chapter 4

When she was almost to the house, Kayla came up to her. They lived about seven houses down from Jessie's grandparents'.

"Hey! Did you talk to Kyle?" She asked.

"Yeah, I just did. He's breaking up with her soon. Maybe now actually. He's talking to her down the beach a little way."

"Oh, great! I'm gonna go eavesdrop. See ya later!" Kayla was so joyful and full of youth. Even though Jessie wasn't too much older than her, she envied how free she could be.

When Jessie walked in the house that night, her grandparents could see a change in her attitude. That had a little to do, of course, with the fact that she came home at an early, decent hour.

"You know, Clint, I think Jessica looks happier. Wouldn't you say so?" Jessie's Grandma, Dawn, asked.

"I would! Say, what happened to that out of control teen we were dealing with just this morning?" Clint asked.

"She left. I hope I'm a better replacement. She told me to tell you that she's sorry for her behavior lately. She hopes you can forgive her," Jessie said.

"I think we can. Do you want to have dinner with us?"

"I'd love to. Hey, do you know anything about the Jameson's down the street?"

"Of course we do. They're very nice people. Why?" Dawn asked.

"Well, I'm friends with Kayla and Kyle. I just wanted to know if you knew them. I've been hanging out with them a lot lately."

"They're such sweethearts. I remember meeting them when they just moved in. The kids were hardly talking," Clint said.

Despite her doubts about her grandparents, Jessie actually had a fun evening with them. They had good stories to share and had great senses of humor. Jessie was getting a good feeling about the oncoming summer.

They began a game of cards around eight, when someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it," Clint said, standing up. He was steady on his feet, even though Jessie thought he would be a little shaky. While Dawn and Jessie talked, Jessie noticed Kyle's voice coming from the door. She also recognized his laugh, mixed with Clint's.

"Jessica, guess who's here," Clint said. He walked in the room with Kyle following behind him.

"Kyle, I haven't seen you in ages," Dawn said. Jessie stood up and walked toward him. He seemed delighted to be in the presence of her and her family.

"It's good seeing you," He responded. "Would it be alright if Jessie and I hang out at the beach for a little bit? I won't keep her longer than you want me to." Jessie loved the way he interacted with her grandparents. She knew he was trying to charm them, but it was like they couldn't even tell.

"Of course. You know, she already came back at a decent hour to check in today. You could keep her all night and I'm sure we wouldn't know the difference." Jessie was really liking Dawn tonight.

"Let me just grab my jacket. I'll be right back," Jessie said. She ran into her room, grabbed the jacket off her bed, fixed her hair, and went back into the living room. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Kyle said.

"Bye, Grandma, Grandpa. Thanks for this. I'll check in later." Jessie and Kyle headed out to the beach, right in Jessie's backyard.


	5. Chapter 5

"So I'm guessing you did it?" Jessie asked. She was walking slowly with Kyle, looking out at the ocean and watching the waves crash against the shore.

"If by 'it' you mean breaking up with Amber, then yes. I did it," Kyle said.

"How'd she take it?"

"Not too well. I feel a little bad, but I'm sure she'll find someone new by next week."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, I do. Her feelings for me were definitely real, and mine were as well, but we just aren't meant for each other. There's no point in continuing something that's only going to hurt more later."

"That's true…"

"So, about that free falling thing."

"What about it?"

"It's not working for me."

"I don't think I know what you mean." Kyle stopped and put his hands on Jessie's shoulders to stop her too. He turned her toward him.

"Jessie, I like you a lot. And I don't know if I have the patience to wait and see what happens with us. I want to know for sure what's going on and what's going to happen."

"I don't think I can help you there."

"Why not?"

"I can't see the future. I don't know what's going to happen. All I can tell you is that everyone has to wait it out, even me!"

"Jessie. Where do we stand?"

"As far as I can tell, on the beach."

"Jessie!" She giggled. She had known exactly what he meant.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to torture you for a couple minutes." Kyle knew now. He kissed her, and she kissed him back. In that moment, she realized what he meant to her. It was suddenly much more than a crush. Kyle was about to be her world. When he pulled back, she smiled, turning her head to look at the waves.

"Why aren't you looking at me?" He asked. He couldn't see her face, and thought she was unhappy. But when she turned back to him, she was anything but unhappy.

"I was watching the waves," She giggled. He made her giggle. No one had made her giggle so much before. "They remind me of you."

"How so?"

"They're beautiful. The way they crash on the shore."

"I've been meaning to tell you something."

"What's that?" Jessie sat in the sand and Kyle sat beside her. She was hugging her knees to her chest; not because she was sad, but because she was so happy.

"I've never seen anyone more gorgeous than you."

"Thank you." Jessie had gotten compliments before, but this one meant the world to her. She looked away so he wouldn't see her smile.

"Did I say something wrong?" Kyle couldn't understand why she looked away from him so much.

"No," She giggled.

"Hey, how about I take you shopping tomorrow?" Jessie stopped laughing.

"Why?" She was suddenly serious. There was no sign of laughter in her eyes when she looked back at him. As a matter of fact, she was scared.

"So you can get more clothes?" He said it like a question, but that was only because he was questioning what he did to make her unhappy.

"Is that the reason?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Why do you think there's a different reason?"

"I'm not like other girls, Kyle."

"I know that. I've known that since the first time I saw you."

"Exactly."

"What?"

"It sounds like you want to help me buy more clothes, so I don't look like such a freak around here. It's alright. You have a reputation. I get it." Jessie stood up and wiped the sand off her jeans. "I'll just go. See you around." Kyle scrambled to his feet and grabbed Jessie's arm as she started to walk back toward her house.

"Jessie! That wasn't my intention! You don't look like a freak. You're different. I love it. That's part of what makes you so you! I don't care about reputations anymore, Jess." _A nick name? How tender, sweet, and thoughtful of you, Kyle,_ Jessie thought.

"No, Kyle, really, it's okay. I don't want to stay out all night anyway. My grandparents don't deserve that from me. Maybe I'll see you around the beach. Or maybe even at some pretty girl stores!" Jessie said the last sentence in her preppy girl voice. She flashed him a beautiful smile, though it was fake, and she turned to leave again.

"Jessie please. I'm sorry. What can I do to make you stay?"

"_Nothing_. I'm going now. You're going to walk the other way, toward your house, and you're going to stay there all night. You aren't going to come around to my window like some Shakespeare character or Disney's Prince Charming. And if you do, I will never speak to you again."

"Jessie, _stop_! This is crazy! I asked you to go shopping with me and you take it like that! Don't do this! You sound insane! I just wanted to spend more time with you! I was making conversation! Damnit, Jessie I was asking you out!" Jessie turned and faced him. She realized how stupid she was, and was very embarrassed. She looked down.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. Kyle took a step toward her and hugged her.

"Do you really want to go back home?" He asked.

"Kind of." He let go of her. "The thing about my grandparents is true. I've been staying out really late a lot. I know they aren't really worried anymore, but still. I shouldn't do that to them. We can hang out tomorrow if you want. We can even go shopping." Jessie smiled.

"We'll do whatever you want."

"I'll probably run into you sometime at the beach tomorrow. So we'll just meet up whenever it happens. Free fall, remember?"

"Sure."

Jessie turned to leave, but Kyle turned her back around and kissed her. "Goodnight, Jessie," He said.

"Goodnight, Kyle." She jogged back to her house.


	6. Chapter 6

Jessie hadn't been with Kyle long, and her grandparents were surprised that she was back so early.

"Is something wrong?" Dawn asked.

"Of course there's nothing wrong. Look at that expression on her face!" Clint said. Jessie smiled at them.

"I just thought I should come back early tonight. I've been out so late lately, you know? And it's against your rules to be out past nine," Jessie said.

"It's not even eight 'o' clock. Go out and have a good time."

"No thank you. I've already said good night to Kyle. I just want to have a night with you guys. It'll be fun."

"Well honey, that's sweet, but we go to bed pretty early. I'm afraid you'll be bored to tears," Dawn said.

"I'll be fine. I've got books and stuff."

"You're young. Go out and be a teenager. Don't stay inside and read," Clint said.

"Hey!" Jessie smiled. "I like to read! I'll be fine. Really, you guys. I'll get into some mayhem tomorrow. _Goodnight_."

"Suit yourself."

"Goodnight, dear," Dawn said.


End file.
